Tampa is home to a population of nearly 400,000 people, as well as the prestigious University of South Florida, and is one of the gems of the state of Florida. It attracts a huge number of tourists and locals alike thanks to its gorgeous weather, amazing golf courses, and impressive bay. There is a lot to do, and it is always bustling.
Even in places as beautiful and happy as Tampa, accidents still happen. When they do, making sure you have a good personal injury attorney ready to help could be extremely important.
Covering personal injury cases across the state of Florida for over 75 years collectively, the law place has seen it all. If you need an experienced and skilled team of Tampa personal injury attorneys, we are the ones to call.
The Most Common Personal Injury Claims
Accidents are common and can happen unexpectedly, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Here are the most common personal injury claims we see in Tampa:
- Tampa Car Accident Lawyer – Car accidents are a leading cause of personal injury claims nationwide, often involving DUI. A skilled lawyer can help with your case.
- Tampa Truck Accident Lawyer – Truck accidents are a major issue in Tampa, causing significant highway fatalities. Hiring a lawyer is crucial for those affected.
- Tampa Motorcycle Accident Lawyer – motorcycle accidents often lead to severe injuries or fatalities. Legal assistance is essential due to insurance biases against bikers.
- Tampa Boating Accident Lawyer – With high boating accident rates in Florida, Tampa sees many injuries and fatalities. A lawyer can help navigate the complexities of boating negligence.
- Tampa Catastrophic Injury Lawyer – Severe injuries from accidents or falls can lead to lifelong needs and financial burdens. Seek compensation to cover medical costs and other expenses.
- Tampa Dog Bite Lawyer – Dog bites can lead to serious injuries. Strict liability laws in Florida make legal guidance essential for victims seeking compensation.
- Tampa Premises Liability Lawyer – Property owners must ensure safety. When hazards lead to injuries, a lawyer can help prove negligence and secure compensation.
- Tampa Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Lawyer – TBIs have severe, long-term effects. Victims can seek compensation for injuries and financial losses if caused by negligence.
- Tampa Wrongful Death Lawyer – Losing a loved one due to negligence is devastating. A wrongful death lawsuit can provide compensation and support during this difficult time.
- Tampa Slip and Fall Lawyer – Slip and falls can cause serious injuries, including brain injuries and hip fractures. Legal help is crucial for addressing these cases.
What Are Common Personal Injuries?
At The Law Place, we help personal injury victims who have suffered a variety of injuries. It doesn’t matter if you have suffered minor or serious injuries. If you have been injured in an unexpected accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you are entitled to seek fair and reasonable compensation. Some of the most common injuries our personal injury attorneys deal with on a day-to-day basis include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries.
- Spinal cord injuries.
- Internal organ damage.
- Burns.
- Cuts, lacerations, abrasions, and bruises.
- Whiplash.
- Neck injuries.
- Back injuries.
- Head injuries.
- Disfigurement, amputation, and permanent disability.
- Soft tissue injuries.
Our Tampa personal injury attorneys understand that no amount of money will ever remove the emotional trauma and experience of your accident. By building a strong case on your behalf, your Tampa attorney can help aid you with your financial recovery.
What Damages Could I Be Awarded?
One of the main challenges that injury victims and their families have to deal with is estimating the true extent of their damages. In the legal sense, damages refer to the losses that people have experienced. These can be both economic and non-economic damages.
Our law firm has helped countless clients achieve the maximum amount of compensation possible for their cases. Our team has experience recovering compensation for a variety of damages. Through a personal injury claim, you may be able to seek compensation to recover the following damages:
- Lost Wages – As an injury victim, you may have missed work while you were recovering.
- Medical Bills – These can include past, present, and future medical expenses.
- Pain and Suffering – These damages are difficult to quantify and they refer to your emotional distress and trauma.
- Wrongful Death – If a loved one has died because of negligence, a medical negligence claim can be filed for wrongful death.
- Property Damage If you have suffered a motor vehicle accident, you can recover compensation to make repairs.
- Out-of-Pocket Costs – If you have been involved in a car crash that has ruined your vehicle, you can be compensated for public transportation costs and more.
- Lost Income – Losing a loved one can be devastating. It can also make living your life difficult with the loss of their income.
Why do I Need Personal Injury Attorneys in Tampa, Florida?
When you have been involved in an accident that isn’t your fault, you are most likely going to have to seek compensation from the other parties’ insurance or your own insurance company.
Insurance companies dislike paying out money. If they did not, they would never make a profit. For this reason, they hire strong and aggressive legal teams, ready to do everything they can in order to reduce their liability and the money they have to pay out.
Florida state law is notoriously tricky to navigate. Without a personal injury lawyer in Tampa, you are going to struggle to seek compensation on your own. In fact, statistics show that with a personal injury attorney in Tampa, on average, you will receive a payout that is 60% higher than those without representation, depending on the case at hand.
Facing the insurance companies can be a scary ordeal, but doing it with someone who is confident in Florida personal injury law and who is ready to fight your case can take a massive weight off your shoulders.
What to Do at the Scene of the Accident
Hopefully, you are reading this pre-emptively and will never have to use this advice. However, it is always smart to be prepared. Here is what you should do after an accident in Florida to give yourself the best chance of achieving a fair settlement from your personal injury claim.
- Evidence – To prove that someone else is liable for your injuries in Florida, you are going to need lots of evidence. This means that you should try to gather witnesses’ names and their contact details. We recommend you take pictures and videos of the scene. Also, record every single thing you can remember and every correspondence. With evidence, the more, the better.
- Medical Aid – The first and most important thing to do after an accident is to focus on your health and safety. If you did not need an ambulance, you should still take yourself to a hospital immediately. Often, adrenaline can hide the true severity of an injury. Your injuries will need to be formally recorded if you want to seek damages for them later on.
- Record and Report- Report your accident in the appropriate way. Workplace accidents need to be reported to management and in the accident book. A car accident will need to be reported to law enforcement.
- Keep a Diary – After your accident, keep a diary. Every single day document how you feel, how your injuries are affecting your daily activities, and how you are doing mentally. This will be really helpful for your attorney if you want to recover compensation for pain and suffering.
- Never Admit Fault or Apologize – Anything you say following your accident could be held against you. You should say nothing more than what is necessary before you contact an attorney at The Law Place. They will then be able to assist you with what to say and how to act.
- Hire the Right Attorney – This will be the deciding factor in whether your case goes well. A good attorney will more than make up for their costs, as they will always be able to seek a higher level of compensation for your accident. They will also deal with your case for you, removing you from the stress.
I’ve Decided to Hire a Personal Injury Accident Attorney. What Next?
Once you have decided to get in touch with a team of reputable personal injury lawyers in Tampa, you are already on the right path to seeking reasonable compensation for your losses.
The first thing that will happen will be a free consultation. This can either be done over the phone or in person. There are no-strings-attached here. You will get some free, unbiased advice, and we will evaluate where we think you stand in terms of the law and your claim. We will lay out our fee structure and give you some time to think it through.
If you decide that you do want to proceed with our law firm, we will call you in for a more in-depth meeting with a personal injury lawyer. At this point, we will ask some more detailed questions, explain our strategy, and get you to sign the relevant paperwork. After this, you can sit back and relax. We will take over all of your paperwork. We will liaise with all the parties necessary, and we will investigate on your behalf.
During this investigation stage, we will speak to witnesses, look for evidence and records, and speak to first responders and the police. We will build an air-tight personal injury case for you. The stronger the case we can build for you, the greater position of power we will be in to negotiate from.
Once we have built this case, we will begin negotiations with the other insurance company. With our evidence, the case we have built, and our skill at calculating your damages in a fair and reasonable manner, they should offer a settlement at this point.
If they do not offer you or your lawyer a reasonable settlement or they refuse your claim, this is where we will take the case we have built on your behalf, and use it to prove you deserve compensation in court.
How Much does It Cost to Hire Tampa Personal Injury Lawyers?
A personal injury attorney in Tampa usually works on a contingency fee basis. This means that you do not pay for anything unless you win your case. Usually, when you win, you will then pay your lawyer a percentage of your compensation. This removes the worry of up-front fees, allowing all victims to seek the fair and reasonable compensation that they deserve.
Hiring a Tampa personal injury lawyer could not be easier!
Contingency fees are regulated by State Bar Associations. Every single lawyer has to follow strict regulations and laws when it comes to their contingency work, or they will be barred from practicing law.
For more information about the fee structure for our Tampa personal injury attorneys, contact our Tampa law office today for a free case evaluation.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Personal Injury Accident in Tampa, Florida?
This is a hard question to answer, as every single case is so different. There is no such thing as an “average” settlement. The amount that you may be awarded can depend on a number of factors, including:
- The severity of the injuries sustained.
- How costly the medical bills are.
- The past and potential future cost of medical bills.
- The fault and where negligence lies.
- The age of the injured victim.
- How much the accident has impacted the victim’s day-to-day life.
- The quality of your Tampa personal injury lawyers.
These injury factors are all quantifiable. This means an insurance adjuster will rate them on a scale and input that data into a machine. This machine will then calculate what the company is willing to offer as a settlement for your injury. This settlement will usually be lower than it should be, and we advise you to turn it down unless you and your lawyer are really happy with it.
At this point, your Tampa personal injury lawyers will negotiate for more on your behalf, using the evidence we have built up for you to secure a higher settlement figure. If we still can’t agree, then we move to the trial phase.
Florida’s Personal Injury Claim Statute of Limitations
If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries, you must act quickly to file your personal injury lawsuit or claim. The “Statute of limitations” details the deadlines for filing legal claims. In Florida, the law is outlined under Florida Statute 713.23(3). An injury victim only has four years to file a legal claim from the date of their accident.
If you have tragically lost a loved one in an accident, the law states that you only have two years to file a wrongful death claim. This is half the time allowed for personal injury claims! You must contact The Law Place and schedule your free consultation as soon as possible.
It is still possible to make a claim once these years have passed, but it is almost certain that the other parties involved in the case will ask the court to dismiss it. This is because it will be an expired claim. Most cases will be barred after four years have passed.
To avoid missing out on achieving the financial compensation you deserve from your insurance company, you need to contact our Tampa personal injury lawyers today!
What Are the Exceptions to the Personal Injury Statute Of Limitations?
As highlighted above, the law states that accident victims only have four years to file injury claims. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule.
If an injured person was legally incapacitated when the accident occurred, a claim may be made after these years have passed. This involves an individual diagnosed with a permanent or temporary mental illness. In the cases, however, claims must be made within seven years of the accident occurring.
If the negligent individual who caused the injury left the state of Florida immediately, it is worth contacting a team of personal injury lawyers immediately. The presence of the guilty party is usually an important factor in legal claims. Our team at The Law Place can advise you on your best legal options in this scenario. You may have a greater scope of time to make your claim in this scenario.
Furthermore, if the at-fault party deliberately conceals themselves in Florida and changes their identity, and/ or name, your legal options may be hindered. This is uncooperative and can be incredibly frustrating. Our legal team at The Law Place can handle this stress on your behalf.
What Are the Different Areas of Negligence in a Personal Injury Claim?
Usually, a Tampa personal injury case will cite negligence as the cause of the accident. Negligence refers to a failure of a person to behave reasonably and properly take care of something. To prove negligence and win these cases, personal injury lawyers in Tampa will need to prove the four following elements.
Duty of Care
The first thing that must be established is whether the at-fault party owed the injured victim a legal duty of care. Sometimes the relationship between two people constitutes a legal duty of care.
For example, a doctor has a legal duty of care to ensure that their injured clients are provided with skilled medical care and that they follow standard medical practices. Employers also have a legal duty of care to ensure that their employees are working in a safe environment.
Determining whether there was a legal duty of care in your case is not easy. A Tampa personal injury attorney at The Law Place can help determine this for you.
Breach of Duty
In personal injury negligence claims, it must be highlighted how a party violated or breached their duty of care to the injured victim. For example, in a slip and fall accident, injury lawyers will try to prove that the negligent party was aware of the hazard but didn’t do anything about it. A shop owner knowing about a water leak and not repairing it or cordoning the area off qualifies as a breach of their duty of care as it is negligent behavior.
Causation
It is also necessary to prove that the at-fault party’s negligence directly caused the injuries suffered by the victim. If it cannot be proved that negligence is connected to the injury, the at-fault party cannot be held liable.
For example, a driver who has been caught operating their vehicle negligently by texting on their cell phone cannot be held liable for an unrelated car crash that occurred across the street. Although their actions were negligent, they did not have a direct impact on the injuries suffered.
Damages
This is the final area of a negligence claim. You and your attorney must prove that the negligent behavior that breached your duty of care and resulted in your injuries led to you suffering economic and/or non-economic damages as a result.
Florida Is a No-Fault State. What does That Mean?
Florida is a “no-fault state” when it comes to car accident claims. This law means that following a car accident, all parties involved must turn to their own insurance companies to make claims. Regardless of who was to blame for the incident.
It is therefore a requirement that all drivers in Tampa must have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. This is highlighted under Florida Statutes 627.736.
These “no-fault” laws are supposed to make it easier for car accident victims to receive compensation for their injuries. This, however, is not always the case. If you have suffered a serious injury, there is a likelihood your PIP will not cover all of your medical bills.
This is because there is a limit on how much PIP insurance will pay out. If your insurance company does not cover the full expenses of your medical treatment, you must contact a personal injury lawyer. A lawyer at The Law Place will be able to help you file a lawsuit against the at-fault party in these instances.
Important Things to Know About Personal Injury Cases in Tampa
If you are considering seeking the legal representation of a personal injury attorney, there are a few things that you should be made aware of. The legal process is complicated, and it is important to avoid certain pitfalls.
Insurance companies do not act in your best interest. Often, they only care about resolving cases quickly and paying out as little as possible to their clients. Our legal team will do all they can to ensure that your personal injury case receives the settlement it deserves.
Your attorney from The Law Place will supply your insurer with all the necessary evidence required. Suffering an injury of any kind can be hugely traumatic. You do not need the additional stress of dealing with an inconsiderate insurance company.
Negotiations with your insurance company do not stall Florida’s statute of limitations! Therefore, if negotiations are not progressing, you may need the legal assistance of a reputable lawyer. Don’t allow stagnant negotiations to prevent you from achieving the compensation you deserve.
What Makes the Personal Injury Lawyers at The Law Place Different from Other Lawyers?
The lawyers at our law firm are constantly striving to keep up with the ever-changing Florida law. With over 75 years of combined experience, they have handled a variety of cases and helped countless clients achieve the justice they deserve.
Our team is always sharpening their courtroom advocacy skills. We have handled personal injury cases in almost every county in Florida, including Tampa. Many of our attorneys are AVVO 10.0 rated. This is the highest possible ranking they could achieve. These ranks are determined based on their trial skills, associations, awards, length of practice, and client reviews. You can rest assured knowing that our rated personal injury lawyers are working on your case.
We have helped countless clients through some of the darkest days in their lives. We have held their hands and guided them through the complex process of navigating Florida law. A lawyer at The Law Place can do the exact same for you. The well-being of our clients is our top priority. Our lawyers commit 100 percent to their clients. We will not stop fighting until our clients are satisfied.
Contact The Law Place in Florida Today
Here at the law place, you will be able to speak to a Tampa personal injury attorney that has dealt with personal injury cases like yours before. Our lawyers have combined experience spanning over 75 years. No matter if you have suffered catastrophic injuries, a traumatic brain injury, medical malpractice injury, or a minor injury, our legal team is here for you.
When you need an experienced personal injury lawyer that is going to stand up and defend you to the best of their ability and aren’t afraid to stand up to the insurance companies, The Law Place is here to help. Contact us now for a free consultation.
Office Information
Address Tampa Law Office3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33609
Call: 24/7
(813) 544-4444